Heart and Honor
by tiriko
Summary: Life of Uchiha Itachi before he massacred the clan. His days as a part of genin team, as lover, as an elder brother, as the one who holds the fate of the village and clan in his hands..
1. Chapter 1

**This chapter is set when Itachi is 7 years old. The time period is before the Kyuubi attack. Sasuke is not yet born.  
**

**I don't own Naruto.. :)**

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Itachi woke up early that morning. He felt happy and excited. He had graduated from the academy yesterday with flying colors, surpassing all his classmates. He smiled when he thought of the amazed look on the teachers' panel when they found out that the fourth hokage who had just appeared a little while ago to inspect the exams was actually his bunshin. He had maintained it while making his own kage bunshin copy. They had found out the fact only when he told them.

And today they were going to announce the teams. He wondered who his teammates were going to be. It was going to be fun anyway! Smiling to himself, he started to the kitchen for breakfast. His mother greeted him with a warm smile.

"Itachi-kun.. you look so eager today!" Mikoto said.

"Yeah, mother. Today they are going to announce the teams. I wonder who I'll end up with." He pouted.

Mikoto laughed. "Don't worry, dear. Whoever it may be, you will definitely get along fine." She put down the breakfast before him on the table. "And with your talent, missions will be a piece of cake anyway."

"I certainly hope so, mother.." Itachi said, starting to eat his breakfast. That was when Fugaku entered the kitchen, clad in his police uniform.

"Good morning, Itachi."

"Good morning Dad.." Itachi replied, smiling.

"So today your genin life begins, huh? Enjoy it, but work hard too. I have high expectations for you." Fugaku said, all serious. It was rare to see him smile and Itachi had always wondered why.

"Yes father." Itachi said, gulping.

"Now, don't make him tense dear. This is his first day as a genin after all." Mikoto scolded Fugaku.

"Hmm.." Fugaku took a sip of tea as he studied his son. "He is my child. It won't be that difficult for him." Fugaku said, almost smiling.

"Thanks, father!" Itachi's face lit up.

He finished his breakfast, and got ready to leave. He bid his goodbyes and raced to the academy grounds. There he found that he was the first one to enter the class. He waited eagerly as one by one, all the graduates entered. Then the teacher entered.

"Good morning everyone!" He wished the students brightly. "First of all, I congratulate you all on your graduation. All of you have done well and will become fine ninjas in the future. Now, I'm going to divide you all into teams with 3 people in each. Each team will be supervised by a jounin sensei. Listen, here are the teams.."

After reading out a few of the teams, he finally read out Itachi's name.

"Team 4. Uchiha Itachi, Namikaze Takio and Uchiha Amaya. Supervisor will be Shikaku Nara!" He read out.

Itachi glanced at his new teammates. Takio was an energetic guy, of the same clan as of the Fourth Hokage. He had the same yellow hair of Minato Namikaze, but with green eyes. He glanced back at Itachi and frowned. Itachi smiled at him cheerfully. He then turned to Uchiha Amaya. It was interesting to note that they had put the only two Uchihas of their class in the same team. Why did they do that? Anyway, Amaya was a cute girl, with typical Uchiha black hair that went past her shoulders. Though a little scary at times, Itachi found that he was actually happy to have her in the team. Amaya glanced at him curiously.

After all the teams were announced, Itachi and his teammates went outside to a spot under a tree where their jounin sensei was supposed to meet them. A swing was hanging on the tree.

"I can't believe I'm stuck with two Uchihas!" Takio complained loudly.

"You should be grateful. After all, Uchiha is a noble clan of Konoha!" Amaya said, arrogantly.

"You're all so full of yourself.." Takio pouted.

"How dare you say that-" Amaya launched a punch in his face. Takio grabbed Itachi's hand and dragged him in between them. Itachi easily dodged it and the punch hit Takio squarely on the face.

"Ouuuchh.. That hurt you know.." Takio winced as he touched his swollen nose. "Itachi! Just wait! I'll get you for this!"

"Hmm.. Did I do something wrong, Takio?" Itachi asked, keeping the amusement out of his voice.

"You bastard! You should not have ducked so quick!" Takio pointed a finger at him, while Amaya bristled.

"Oh.. I am sorry. Next time I'll try to be slower." Itachi quipped.

"Don't you dare insult me!" Takio shouted, attacking Itachi with a flurry of punches, which were all dodged effortlessly.

"Stop it! Takio! You are really a pain in the ass!" Amaya yelled at him.

He stopped and stared at him, his face suddenly all lit up.

"Itachi- Why are we fighting each other? We can join our forces against that bitch over there, right?" Takio asked him with a glint of enthusiasm in his eyes.

"Um.. Seems like a good idea.. But don't you think two guys attacking a girl is a bit cowardly?" Itachi asked him.

"Did anyone call me a bitch, just now?" Amaya had crossed her hands in front of her, and had a dangerous smile on her lips.

"Heheh.. You must have been hallucinating, dear.. Or maybe it was Itachi.." Takio said, giving her a really stupid grin.

"I'm sure it was Takio who said that." Itachi said calmly.

"Dumbass! Whose side are you on?" Takio shouted.

"My side, of course." Itachi replied.

"Aww God.. I feel like I'm standing between the devil and the sea.." Takio grimaced.

"Did someone mention devil?" A new voice asked from behind them. The three of them turned to see a jounin approaching them. His hair was tied back in a ponytail, and a zigzag hairline marked the end of his forehead. There was something about him that warned them of intelligence beyond normal.

"Are you Shikaku sensei?" Amaya asked, her face full of awe.

"Yeah. That would be me. I presume you three are getting along very well, huh?" He asked in a no-nonsense tone.

"We are getting along just fine.. HEHE.." Takio grinned.

"Yeah. You can't believe just how fine.." Amaya supported him, smiling.

Itachi nodded, smiling his agreement.

"Alright! Then we will start with introductions. I will begin. I'm Nara Shikaku. I like playing shougi. And I have to warn you, no lie escapes my ears. My dream would be something you would not understand. Alright, that's it about me. Tell me your names, your dreams, or anything you consider we should hear about."

"I'm Uchiha Amaya. I like the dark, especially if there is no moon. And I hate it when my mother drinks. My dream.. hmm.. it is to be the head of Konoha Police Force." Amaya said.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. What a weird girl.. He glanced at Takio and exchanged a smile. Takio piped up next.

"I'm Namikaze Takio. I like travelling.. and cute girls except Amaya.." Amaya turned beet red. He continued anyway. "Oh and flying!" At that, they stared at him.

"What? You can fly?" Itachi asked doubtfully.

"Yep! I'll show you!" Takio stood up and raised two hands. To their utter surprise, he shot off into the sky at an amazing speed, came back and launched himself smoothly.

"Wow! That was awesome!" Amaya had to admit. Itachi felt like he had underestimated Takio.

"That is a nice skill you've got, Takio. Go on." Shikaku prodded.

"Yeah.. I don't hate much.. except maybe.. exams.. And my dream is to become an anbu captain!" Takio told enthusiastically.

"Nice Takio.. Itachi! You're next." Shikaku told him.

"I'm Uchiha Itachi. I like standing in the rain. And I hate wars.. My dream is a peaceful ninja world."

"What! Are you a ninja? That's the dream of a coward.." Takio shouted.

"You have got it wrong, Takio. Listen, war brings nothing but pain and suffering. Lots of people die, leaving their loved ones behind. And those who are left behind become homeless, losing everything and everyone they once had. It breeds hatred and evil in the most innocent of hearts. A ninja's duty is to serve the country, and to protect its people, not to indulge in wars. Don't forget that." Shikaku said.

Takio looked ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I did not understand the true meaning of peace."

Shikaku smiled.

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**Next chapter.. Sasuke is born.. Reviews plz... :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**One year later.. Itachi is 8 years old now. **

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Itachi was walking back home through the Uchiha compound. It was dark already. His team had completed an A-rank mission in the Land of Mist. It had turned out a little dangerous, but they had come out quite fine. They were a team with great potential.. Itachi thought with a smile. It had been just one year since their team formation, and already they had been on lots of dangerous missions. They had developed quite useful skills at an amazing rate. Amaya had turned out to be skilled at controlling her opponent's mind with chakra alone. Takio was an adept close-combat fighter, and his flying skills made him almost invulnerable to most of the attacks. Shikaku sensei was the ultimate strategist. He could think his way out of any tough situation with the best results. And Itachi himself was becoming quite talented at ninjutsu and taijutsu, and a high level of defense in genjutsu. He had awakened two tomoes on his sharingan eyes during two different fights, one when he thought Takio was dead and another when Takio, Amaya and Shikaku sensei were knocked out unconscious in a terrible battle and taken captives. If he could awaken his sharingan fully, it would turn out to be his best offense as well.

Takio still complained about Uchiha from time to time, but it had become just for fun. They fought over it a lot, especially him and Amaya, but it either ended with Takio getting controlled by Amaya or Itachi being dragged into it. Then it would turn out to be an all out fight until Shikaku sensei interfered with his scary look. Somewhere along the way, they had become best friends. Underneath all the fights among themselves, they had started to care for each other more than they would admit. Now they protected each other with their own lives on line. Takio was his best friend and rival now. They would often spar with each other, Takio being the initiator, with such a competitive spirit that even Amaya would look on with awe. And Amaya.. Itachi was not sure, but she now meant more to him than a best friend. She acted like she did not care for anyone, but somewhere deep inside she had a heart that yearned to love.. He remembered how weird she had acted when he had almost died on one mission. He had fought a very strong opponent and was suffering from so many injuries that he himself thought he could never make it. But she had risked her own life to save him. He had never seen her cry, not even when her mother died of illness. She was not someone who let out her feelings openly, but he could feel the intensity of her feelings towards him. Though he never told her, he too felt the same. And he was sure Takio knew this too.

He was near his home now. His thoughts turned to his parents. Mother was pregnant and she said he would have a little brother or sister in a few months. He was almost looking forward to it eagerly. He hoped it was a sister, he had always wanted one. Anyway, he hoped the baby would cheer up his parents. They were acting a little weird lately. His father especially, was angry at nothing most of the time, and his mother was having a tough time calming him down. She told him it was because of his worries as the head of Konoha Police Force, but one day he had overheard them talking something about the Uchiha clan's justice. They had stopped when they realized he was near.

He knocked at the door, and after a while, his mother opened it. She greeted him with a hug and a warm smile.

"Itachi! I was worried if something had happened on the mission. Did it go well?" She asked.

"It went great, mother. But we had some really tough opponents this time." Itachi answered, entering.

"Oh.. Thank god you are ok!" Mikoto said. "Come on.. You must be hungry. Freshen up and come, dear. Dinner is ready."

"Alright, Mother." Itachi replied. "Where is Father? Didn't he come back?"

"Umm.. No.. He had to attend a very important meeting. He will be late." She said, nervously.

"Meeting? But it is already night.. Is it an emergency?" Itachi asked, frowning.

"I don't think so.." She said. "Now don't worry about it. You already look so tired."

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**After two months..**

Itachi heard the cry of a baby and ran outside the house gleefully to meet his parents, who were back from the hospital. His father had a protective arm around mother, who held a bundle of white cloth in her hands.

"I wanna see the baby!" Itachi yelled, running towards them.

"Haha.. come dear! You've got a little brother!" Mikoto laughed. Fugaku was smiling too.

Itachi went near his mother and standing on tiptoes, peeped into the bundle. There, a cute baby was sleeping peacefully. His head was covered with messy black hair and his face looked very pale. Itachi's eyes were wide with awe and he touched the little thing gently on its cheeks. The baby opened its eyes and stared with big black innocent eyes at Itachi.

"Wow.. He is so cute.." He said, without taking his eyes off the baby.

"Isn't he?" She smiled. Looking at Sasuke, she said, "Sasuke-kun.. this is your nii-san, Itachi!" Mikoto told the baby. The baby went on staring at Itachi with wonder till Itachi gently poked a finger on its little forehead. Then he started to bawl, real loud, his lips quivering with sadness and huge tears flowing from his eyes.

"Stop it! Itachi.. You are scaring him!" Mikoto scolded. She spoke to the baby soothingly till Sasuke was silent again.

"Hehe.. Sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, Sasuke!" Itachi grinned, amused. "Mother? Can I hold him? Please.."

"Alright, but gently, like this. Here.." Mikoto placed the bundle in Itachi's arms, where he lay content.

"Wow! He is so small.." Itachi couldn't help getting amazed. "I feel like anything could hurt him.."

"He needn't be afraid when he has such strong big brother, does he?" Fugaku smiled down at Itachi.

"Haha.. Yes! I will take care of him! Father!" Itachi laughed happily, holding his new brother close to him.

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Two months had passed since Sasuke's arrival. And today, Itachi had a day off from missions. So he had invited Takio and Amaya over to his house to see Sasuke.

"Aaaawww... he's so adorable.." Amaya cooed when she saw Sasuke bundled in Mikoto's arms.

"Yep.. He looks a bit like you, Itachi!" Takio said, laughing when the baby smiled for unknown reasons.

"He does.. doesn't he? He will be growing up to be a fine ninja like you all!" Mikoto smiled. "Won't you? Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke googooed in reply.

They spent some time with baby Sasuke and Mikoto. After a while, Amaya told them she had to get going, or her father will be putting up a hell at home.

"Alright dear, come here any time you feel like. Sasuke has taken a real liking to you.. see..? he is still smiling at you!" Mikoto told her.

Amaya bid her goodbye and left. After she left, Itachi and Takio thought they would spar for a bit in the nearby forest. So they left Itachi's home, eager to test some new techniques against each other.

"Hey.. Itachi! Don't you think I have a chance at becoming anbu now? I have improved a lot, right?" Takio asked him enthusiastically.

"Hmm.. You are right.. You do have a chance at it.. Did you ask Shikaku sensei about it?" Itachi asked.

"Yep. He told me I'm all set for the anbu exam. It will be conducted in the coming month, and there are going to be strong participants from all over Konoha.. I'm a bit worried.. Can I make it? After all, I'm the only genin.." He gulped.

"Takio.. you are the best close combat fighter I've ever seen.. and I'm sure your flying skills would be an advantage to the anbu. Don't worry! You'll make it.. After all, you are training with me, right?" Itachi quipped.

"Ah.. now that you said that, I have an idea! Why don't you join anbu too, Itachi?" Takio glanced at him.

"Uhh.. Me? Do you think I can?" Itachi was a bit shocked at the idea of himself as an anbu. He had always thought he would be a part of Konoha Police Force, like his father.

"What did you think of yourself, Itachi! You have a great chance at it.. Your talent is beyond believable.. And if you can awaken your sharingan fully, then that's it! You will be the best in Konoha.. They can't reject you, believe me!" Takio yelled at him, grinning.

"Anbu, huh? I never thought of joining the anbu.." Itachi said.

"Then think of it now! It will be great if both of us become anbu! Wow.. Just imagine.. all those dangerous S-rank missions, protecting the Hokage.. It's going to be awesome, Itachi!" Takio was bubbling with excitement.

"Heh.. Well, I will think of it.." Itachi replied, smiling.

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**Uhh.. was it ok? I changed Takio's dream to become an anbu (in Chapter 1).. I think it is more effective.. :) Please let me know if you've got any suggestions.. Next chapter, Kyuubi attack! Keep reading.. :)**


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